Truck construction for moving platforms



Jan. 15 1924- H. S. PUTNAM TRUCK CONSTRUCTION FOR MOVING PLATFORMS 3Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 1923 I vwemtoz Jan. 15 1924'.

H. s. PUTNAM TRUCK C ONS TRUGT I ON FOR MOVI NG PLATFORMS Filed June 221923 3 Shets-Sheet 2 Jan. 15, i924,

I 1,480,635 H. S. PUTNAM TRUCK CONSTRUCTION FORVMOVING' PLATFORMS FiledJime 22, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet Swveuboz Patented Jan. 15, 1924.

UNITED STATES 1,480,635 PATENT OFFICE;-

HENRY S. P UTNAM, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO CONTINUOUS TRANSITCOM- PANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

TRUCK CONSTRUCTION FOR MOVING- IPLATFORMS.

Application filed .Tufie 22, 1923. Serial No. 647,136.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY S. PUTNAM, a citizen of the United States, aresident of 118 E. 54th St., New York, in the county of New York andState of New York, have invented a certain new and useful TruckConstruction for Moving Platforms, of which the following is aspecification.

, The invention relates to trucks or cars adapted to be coupled togetherto make up a train or moving platform, and particularly to trains ormoving platforms which are propelled by means of driving elementsdisposed along a trackway and cooperating with complementary drivingelements .dis-

posed on the trucks to actuate the latter.

Such a moving platform is described, for example, in prior Patents Nos.1,437,549 and 1,437,550, both issued to me on December 5th, 1922.

The primary object of the invention is to so construct trucks of theabove nature that their driving elements may be brought into the exactposition relative to the complementary driving elements disposed alongthe track which is necessary to insure that the above elements willcooperate properly to propel the train or platform. In certain of itsaspects the invention is applicable to both mechanical and electricaldrives for platforms as above described, while certain other features ofthe embodiment of the invention hereinafter described, are designed moreparticularly for mechanical drives.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be in part obviousand in part specifically pointed out in the description hereinaftercontained, which,-taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,discloses a preferred embodiment of the invention; such embodiment,however, is to be considered merely as illustrative of its principles.In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view illustrating a truck constructed in accordance.with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a central vertical section of the structure shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section on line 33 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction ofthe arrows.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view showing coupling devices forconnecting the trucks into a train or endless platform.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic plan view of an endless platform made up oftrucks, in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 6 is a side view of certain of the trucks which appear in Fig. 5,and their cooperating driving elements.

The truck shown in the illustrated embodiment of the invention is a bodymade up of longitudinal supporting members 1,

a draw bar 5 supported by one of the cross pieces 2, and having a hole 6adapted to receive a king pin 7. This king pin also extends through atrunnion member 8, which is shown as a plate having transverselyextending hubs 9 which are received between ears 10 on the rear axle 3of the truck next preceding. Thus each truck is provided near each ofits opposite ends with an element of a pivotal connection, therebypermitting the trucks to move angularly with regard to each other whenpassing around curves; also the trunnion members 9 being slid-ably andpivotally engaged with the ears 10, permit the trucks to shiftvertically as may be necessary to enable the platform to accommodateitself to charges in grade.

The trucks are provided with driving elements 11 extending lengthwisethereof and adapted to cooperate with complementary driving elementsdisposed along the trackway to drive the trucks, and these drivingelements may be of various types. In some instances an electric drivemay be employed consisting of primary coils of the induction motor typedisposed along the track, in which case the driving elements 5 will bein the form of SllOlt-(llCllllGd secondaries, all as is described ingreater detail in my prior patents above referred to; in other instancesa mechanical drive may be employed. in which case the driving elements 5may take the form of racks, engaging driving pinions or gears disposedalong the trackway, or friction rails engaging friction wheels disposedalong the trackway.

In accordance with the present invention, the trucks are so constructedthat the spacing between the ends of the driving elements 11 uponadjacent trucks, may be altered.-

This is accomplished in the illustrated em bodiment of the invention byso supportin the draw bar members 5 from the bodies 0 the trucks thatthe distance between the pivot points of the trucks may be altered;

as shown, the draw bar 5 is clamped to one of the cross pieces 2 bymeans of bolts 12 and one or more spacing devices 13, which may bemerely flat sheets or plates, is interposed between the draw bar 5 andcross piece 2. Thus if the driving elements 11 are racks driven bypinions disposed along the trackway, the spacing between adjacent racks11 may be obtained which will bring the teeth on the racks into phasewith-each other, whereby the driving pinion Wlll pass from one rack tothe next succeeding, without a jerky or improper engagement which wouldinjure or strain the parts.v Where the trucks are assembled in anendless mpving platform, the above construction also enables theefl'ective lengths of the trucks to be adjusted to correspond totheperimeter of the track.

The driving elements 11 are also supported by the body of the truck insuch manner that the elevation with respect to the trackway can bealtered as may be desired. In

the present instance the driving elements 11 are clamped to the bottomsof the cross, pieces 2 and rear axle 3 of each truck, by means of bolts14, and spacing devices 15,

"which may be similar to the parts 13 abovedescribed, are interposedbetween'the driving elements and their respective supports Thus, ifracks are employed as driving elements 11, the rack of each truck may beso positioned as to bring its teeth into proper engagement with theteeth on the driving pinion, the spacing devices 15 being emiloye-d tosuch extent that the driving element 11 is located parallel to thetrackway, and at the desired height above the same. If an electric driveis used as above mentioned, the above features are also desirable, sincethe efiiciency of such a drive is dependent upon the accuratemaintenance of a proper air gap between the secondaries in Fig. 6, theracks 11 may be driven by pinions or gears 16 which in turn are drivenby chains 17 from electric motors 18.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, it willbe obvious that many changes may be made therein without departing fromits spirit, as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In combination a series of trucks disposed end to end, alined racksextending respectively along the several trucks and adapted to cooperatewith driving elements disposed along a trackway to propel the trucks,and means for altering the spacing between the ends of adjacent racks tobring the teeth of the racks into phase with each other.

2. In combination a series of trucks disposed end to end, couplingdevices near the ends of adjacent trucks to interconnect the same,alined racks extending respectively along the several trucks adapted tocoop.erate with driving elements disposed along a trackway to propel thetrucks, and means associated with said couplin devices for altering thespacing between t e ends of adjacent racks to bring the teeth of theracks into. phase with each other.

3. A truck construction comp-rising body members with wheels adapted toguide the truck along a track, a rack extending lengthwise of, the truckand adapted to cooperate with driving elements disposed along thetrackway to propel the truck, an element of a pivotal connectiondisposednear each of the opposite ends of said truck, and means foraltering the distance between the pivot points ofthe last-mentionedelements.

4. A truck construction comprisingbody members with wheels adapted toguide the truck along a track, a rack extending lengthwise of the truckand adapted to cooperate with driving elementsdisposed along thetrackway to propel the truck, coupling devices disposed near theopposite ends of the truck, means for clamping one of said couplingdevices to the body of the truck, and a removable spacing device interosed between said last-mentioned coupling evice and the body of thetruck.

5. A truck construction comprising body members with wheels adapted toguide the truck along atrack, a driving element carried by the truckextending lengthwise thereof and adapted to cooperate with complementary elements disposed along the trackway to drive the truck,means being provided to alter the elevation of said driving element withrespect to the trackway.

6. A truck construction comprising body members with wheels adapted toguide the truck along a track, a driving element carried by the truckextending lengthwise thereof and adapted to cooperate with com- Inchaving longitudinal supporting menibers,

cross pieces extending therebetween, a driving element for the truckextending lengthwise thereof beneath said cross pieces and adapted tocooperate with complementary elements disposed along the trackway to Vpropel the truck, and means for supporting said driving element fromsaid cross pieces, said means permitting alteration of elevation atwhich said driving element is supported with respect to the trackway.

8. A truck construction including a body having longitudinal supportingmembers, cross pieces extending therebetween, a driving element for thetruck extending lengthwise thereof beneath said cross pieces and adaptedto cooperate with complementary elements disposed. alon the track, topropel the truck, means for c amping said driving element to said crosspieces and removable s acing devices interposed between said d i'ivingelement and said cross pieces.

9. A truck construction comprising body members with wheels adapted toguide the truck along a track, a driving element extending lengthwise ofthe truck and adapted to cooperate with complementary elements disposedalong the trackway to propel the truck, means for altering the positionof said drlving elements with respect to the trackway, and meansforaltering the distance between the pivotal connection elements.

10. An endless platform comprising a series of trucks pivotallyconnected together to make up a continuous loop, each of said truckshaving wheels at one end' only, and mechanism or connecting theremaining end of each truck to the wheeled end of an adjacent truck,said trucks carrying racks extendin pinions dlsposed at intervals alongthe trackway and meshing with said racks to propel the same. I

11. An endless platform comprising a series of trucks pivotallyconnected together to make up a continuous loop, said trucks carryingracks extending respectively along the same, pinions disposed atintervals along' the trackway and meshing with said racks to propel theplatform, and means for altering the spacing between the ends ofadjacent racks to bring the teeth of the racks into phase with eachother.

12. An endless platform comprising a series of trucks pivotallyconnected together to make up a continuous loop, said trucks carryingracks extending respectively along the same, pinions disposed atintervals along the trackway and meshing with said racks to propel theplatform, and means being provided to alter the elevation of said rackswith respect to the trackway.

In testimony that I claimthe foregoing, I have hereunto set my hand this18th day of June, 1923.

HENRY S. PUTN AM.

respectively along the same, and v

